Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley

Posted by Graeme Orchard
 
Our Guest Speaker at Tuesdays meeting was Distinguished Professor Paul Spoonley, from Massey University, one of New Zealand's leading academics and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
 
Paul heads the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and presented a fascinating vision on the changing face of demographics that Auckland can expect over the next 10-20 years as the city grows.
 Some interesting facts:
  • Auckland will constitute 40% of the total NZ population
  • Asians are expected to grow to 28-30% over the next decade
  • Maori will remain constant over this period at 11%
  • Pasifika will grow to 16%
  • New Zealand European /Pākehā will decline to 42%
  • more people aged over 65 than under 15 years of age
  • 700,000 more people living in the greater Auckland region
  • 60% of New Zealand’s growth
  • 94% of working age growth
  • Immigration most significant contributor to growth
 
Paul highlighted that the traditional persona of Auckland and New Zealand as a whole is likely to change significantly as this growing ethnic diversity affects our identity, values and behaviours. 
 
Listening to Professor Spoonley it is clear that New Zealand faces interesting times and that the bicultural focus of the past 20 years will be overtaken by a multicultural focus with diversity, opportunity and challenge that is both exciting and frightening.